Observer’s Sweet 16 basketball poll 01.08.15
Tuesday night, Ardrey Kell beat arch rival Providence 75-55 to set a school record. The Knights won their 12th game in a row, a streak that includes a win over state power Victory Christian in the local bracket championship at the Hoodies House Tournament last month. Devin Cooper made a buzzer-beating layup off a Steven Santa Ana pass to win a thrilling game.
Thursday, Ardrey Kell (13-1) made more history: it climbed to the top of the Observer’s Sweet 16 boys’ basketball poll for the first time. The Knights, who haven’t lost since Nov. 21, jumped three spots from No. 4 in the first poll since mid-December. Since then, most area teams have played in holiday tournaments and at least one regular-season game.
That action has brought many changes to the poll.
Three new teams are in:
The top of the poll moved around a little, but the teams remained pretty much the same. Providence Day, which had a good run at the national field in Hoodies House Tournament at Ardrey Kell, moved up a spot to No. 2. North Meck, which won the Arby (Tenn.) Classic but was upset by Robinson on Tuesday, fell a spot to No. 3. West Charlotte (10-2) dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 after losing to a Maryland team and North Mecklenburg.
Butler, which has won 12 straight, jumped two spots to No. 6, and Hickory Ridge rose five spots to No. 9.
| Rk. | Team (Class) | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Ardrey Kell (4A) | 13-1 | 5 |
| 2 | Providence Day (IND) | 12-4 | 3 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg (4A) | 13-1 | 2 |
| 4 | West Charlotte (4A) | 10-2 | 1 |
| 5 | Olympic (4A) | 12-2 | 6 |
| 6 | Butler (4A) | 14-2 | 8 |
| 7 | Hough (4A) | 11-3 | 4 |
| 8 | Robinson (4A) | 10-3 | 9 |
| 9 | Hickory Ridge (3A) | 12-2 | 14 |
| 10 | Weddington (3A) | 12-2 | 15 |
| 11 | Ashbrook (3A) | 10-1 | NR |
| 12 | Charlotte Christian (IND) | 11-3 | 10 |
| 13 | Berry (4A) | 11-3 | NR |
| 14 | Charlotte Catholic (4A) | 11-3 | 7 |
| 15 | East Lincoln (2A) | 7-0 | NR |
| 16 | Rock Hill South Pointe (4A) | 6-2 | 13 |
Dropped Out: Harding (4A, 7-5); Lake Norman (4A, 6-7); Cox Mill (3A, 10-5). Also receiving consideration: Mooresville (4A, 8-4); North Iredell (3A, 10-3); Concord (3A, 10-4); Lincolnton (2A, 10-1)
This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Observer’s Sweet 16 basketball poll 01.08.15."